Saturday, September 11, 2010

Everything's better with bacon!

Like I need to tell you that. Going with the "health" theme of the last post, wherein I sought out greater personal well being by slathering a piece of fish with butter, why not go all in and sauté some home grown collards in bacon "juice". I call it juice; w calls it grease. I'm sure you'd agree my way is much healthier!

My garden has been supplying a ginormous amount of greens this summer. I haven't had to supplement our green intake with anything from the store for months, which is more satisfying than I can tell you. Plus our garden greens have such a nice texture. Much softer than any store bought organic produce that gets grown on the factory farms that supply most organic grocery chains. Collards are like the rabbits of the garden world. I planted five little plants, which seemed quite manageable. Next thing you know I'm leaving bundles of collards, from the plants pictured at the top (that's just one plant, btw), on the neighbors and searching for new things to do with all the abundance. I hadn't done this, and I have to say "this" may be the best version yet. Sure the bacon...or pancetta in our example...helped, but also cutting the big leaves into tiny ribbons and sautéing them super fast added a wonderful freshness and a perfect bite. I would guess that even people who swear they hate greens would find something to love with these!
*** *** *** *** ***
Collard Greens Miniera
adapted from epicurious/Gourmet Magazine

active time: 25 min/ start to finish: 25 min
yield: makes 4 servings

ingredients:
1 1/4 lb collard greens, halved lengthwise and stems and center ribs
discarded
4-6 ounces pancetta or bacon, finely chopped

method:
Stack collard-leaf halves and roll crosswise into a cigar shape. Cut
crosswise into very thin slices (no thicker than 1/4 inch) with a sharp
knife. Cook bacon in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat,
stirring, until crisp. Add collards, tossing to coat, and cook until just
bright green, about 60 to 90 seconds. Season with salt and serve immediately.

1 comment:

Kathleen Bauer said...

Talk about soul food! There's something magical about the combination of greens and pork fat (grease or juice). At least your colon will thank you, if your heart doesn't!